Attendant on Duty

An attendant on duty is an employee who must be present whenever work is being performed in a confined space. The attendant's post should be outside of the confined space but also near enough to the entrance to properly supervise activities in the worksite. The attendant's duties are to monitor both the work being done and the employees performing the work. If assistance is needed, the attendant can help the workers to an extent, but any aid provided cannot impede their duties as an attendant. If they must leave their post to assist with work being performed, they must designate a replacement attendant until they can return.

The attendant must be trained and competent in all areas of work that he or she is supervising. The more familiar the attendant is with the work being done, the easier it will be to keep the project running smoothly. Well-trained and competent attendants are also more aware of hazards present at such worksites and will be able to help their workers more effectively avoid such hazards.

The attendant must be in constant contact with workers in the confined space. Being in constant contact means being able to communicate directly and immediately at all times. The form of communication can include talking directly with the workers in the confined space, communicating with hand signals, or using a radio system. The attendant and workers must be able to contact each other the entire time the workers are in the confined space.

To learn more about Confined Spaces visit our Canada Confined Space Online Training web page.